The tropical rain forests of Suriname : exploitation and management 1600-1975

Boomgaard, Peter

doi:10.1163/13822373-90001997

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…Modern studies have shown that logging has impacted forest succession for decades (De Graaf et al, 1999; Dekker & De Graaf, 2003; Landburg et al, 2021). However, it remains to be tested if post‐colonial hunting or logging activities can result in indirect legacies (Boomgaard, 1992).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…During the post‐colonial period (after European arrival to the Americas in ad 1492), land use in Amazonia intensified due to global trade, enslavement practices, population expansion and industrialization (Boomgaard, 1992; Weinstein, 1983). Colonization also brought disease that resulted in widespread mortality of Indigenous people (Denevan, 2014; Dobyns, 2017) and changed where the surviving Indigenous people lived and how they used the forest (Dobyns, 1983; Urzedo & Chatterjee, 2022).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Pre‐contact and post‐colonial ecological legacies shape Surinamese rainforests

Witteveen,

White,

Sánchez‐Martínez

et al. 2024

Ecology

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Disturbances in tropical forests can have long‐lasting ecological impacts, but their manifestations (ecological legacies) in modern forests are uncertain. Many Amazonian forests bear the mark of past soil modifications, species enrichments, and fire events, but the trajectories of ecological legacies from the pre‐contact or post‐colonial period remain relatively unexplored. We assessed the fire and vegetation history from 15 soil cores ranging from 0 to 10 km from a post‐colonial Surinamese archaeological site. We show that (1) fires occurred from 96 bc to recent times and induced significant vegetation change, (2) persistent ecological legacies from pre‐contact and post‐colonial fire and deforestation practices were mainly within 1 km of the archaeological site, and (3) palm enrichment of Attalea, Oenocarpus and Astrocaryum occurred within 0, 1, and 8 km of the archaeological site, respectively. Our results challenge the notion of spatially extensive and persistent ecological legacies. Instead, our data indicate that the persistence and extent of ecological legacies are dependent on their timing, frequency, type, and intensity. Examining the mechanisms and manifestations of ecological legacies is crucial in assessing forest resilience and Indigenous and local land rights in the highly threatened Amazonian forests.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pre‐contact and post‐colonial ecological legacies shape Surinamese rainforests

Witteveen,

White,

Sánchez‐Martínez

et al. 2024

Ecology

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show abstract

“…1) near the equator between 2 and 6 °N and 54 to 58 °W. It has a total land area of 165,000 km 2 of which 90% is covered by forests (Boomgaard 1992). Most of this tropical rain forest occurs in the hilly and mountainous interior of the country.…”

Section: Study Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

Retrospective analysis of growth A contribution to sustainable forest management in the tropics

Lotfiomran¹,

Köhl²

2017

IAWA Journal

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Reliable information on tree growth is a prerequisite for sustainable forest management (SFM). However, in tropical forests its implementation is often hampered by insufficient knowledge of the growth dynamics of trees. Although tree ring analysis of tropical trees has a long history, its application for SFM has only recently been considered. In the current study, we illustrate both the potentials and limitations of a retrospective growth assessment by tree ring analysis under the prevailing tropical conditions in a Surinamese rain forest. For this purpose, 38 commercial tree species were screened and grouped into three categories according to the visibility of their tree ring boundaries: (I) tree rings absent or indistinct, (II) distinct but partially vague tree rings which enable approximate age estimation, (III) very distinct tree rings. In 22 out of 38 commercial tree species distinct to very distinct tree ring boundaries could be identified. The anatomy of tree ring boundaries was described following Worbes and Fichtler (2010). Four species with distinct growth rings, Cedrela odorata, Hymenaea courbaril, Pithecellobium corymbosum and Goupia glabra, were studied in greater detail. Time-series analysis was used to characterise their radial growth. From the tree ring width, the annual diameter increment and cumulative diameter growth were calculated to find long-term growth patterns. Pithecellobium corymbosum and partially Hymenaea courbaril followed a typical S-shaped growth curve. By contrast, Goupia glabra and Cedrela odorata did not exhibit an age-related decrease of growth, but showed a constant linear growth over their entire life span. If based on more sample trees, such data can provide target-oriented information for improving SFM in tropical forests.

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The role of crop diversity in escape agriculture; rice cultivation among Maroon communities in Suriname

Maat,

Pinas,

van Andel

2023

Plants People Planet

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Societal Impact StatementAgricultural techniques are inherently connected to social organization. Under colonialism, broadly understood as foreign powers suppressing (parts of) a local population, escape agriculture offers a way to avoid despotism by producing food and other produce in independent and sustainable ways. Crop diversity plays an important role in escape agriculture, demonstrated here by the variation of rice varieties on Maroon farms in Suriname. Histories of Maroon agricultural practices, and similarly marginalized groups in (formerly) colonized regions, are informative for current interventions in agriculture. Agronomic support to marginalized groups will only be successful when addressing historically grown social disengagement.Summary Rationale: Food is essential for successful marronage and produced by means of escape agriculture. Today, communities in the interior of Suriname continue to farm by following practices of escape agriculture. Our study traces the historical development of these farming practices, in particular the extensive cultivation of rice. Our aim is to show that the diversity of rice varieties used in their fields reveals the sophisticated farming techniques and social significance of escape agriculture. Methods: We visited about 60 farm plots upstream the main rivers of Suriname where we interviewed the person in charge about the rice varieties grown in their fields. We asked about origin, names, and characteristics of each rice variety. We also screened historical sources, primary and secondary, as well as anthropological accounts of these communities for historical evidence of rice cultivation and varietal diversity. Results: Plots were farmed primarily by women and contained a broad range of different rice varieties. Naming and origin stories show a clear reference to the escape from plantations and the leading role of women in farming and food security. In some fields, a small patch was reserved for a rice type with very dark grains, used mostly for ritual purposes. Results also show adoption of more recently introduced rice varieties. Conclusion: Rice plays a key role in escape agriculture as practiced by Maroon communities in Suriname. Rice varieties are used as agricultural markers of difference.

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The tropical rain forests of Suriname : exploitation and management 1600-1975

Cited by 4 publications

References 7 publications

Pre‐contact and post‐colonial ecological legacies shape Surinamese rainforests

Pre‐contact and post‐colonial ecological legacies shape Surinamese rainforests

Retrospective analysis of growth A contribution to sustainable forest management in the tropics

The role of crop diversity in escape agriculture; rice cultivation among Maroon communities in Suriname

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